Early Adopter Grateful for Traditions

Tag: faith

I have been described in a number of settings as an “early adopter.” In case you haven’t heard this term before it is the definition of those who fall in the 10 to 15 percent of a group who are likely to respond to a new idea with, “let’s go for it!!” Early adopters tend to like change and get enthused by new ideas. It is, I think, an accurate assessment of who I tend to be.

However, I like tradition too − in some cases. I remember well my second year as a District Superintendent. The first year in this appointment was wonderful. It was a whole new ministry experience and after over three decades as a local church pastor, the shift in routine and activity was energizing. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a local church pastor. It is the heart of my calling and it has given me tremendous joy through the years, but that first year (and the years since) brought new and different ministry opportunities that were wonderful as well.

In the middle of my second year as a DS I realized something. It happened right about this time in December. I realized, as I attended various worship services throughout the District, people weren’t doing it right! The traditions and Advent practices that I brought and we celebrated in churches I served were not the ones most of the churches I was attending were doing. And I missed those traditions! I missed the traditions I had come to value and sharing those elements of worship with the congregations.

I’m glad I’m an early adopter. It helps me to be a bit more comfortable with change. As most of us are aware, change is a constant in the world we live in, and therefore needs to be relatively constant in the churches where we worship and serve. But, I’m grateful for traditions as well. I’m grateful for those things that remind us of who we have been and indeed who we still are.

So I pray that this Advent and Christmas season hold the best of both the new and the traditional for you. I pray that you will find joy in it all. I pray that you will discover a new sense of peace and hope as together we seek to follow the star and find our way to Bethlehem again this year.

I have spoken to or overheard several people in the last few weeks and months say something along the line of, “I have stopped watching the news. I just can’t bring myself to turn it on.” Now most of these individuals were not saying that because they believed the news to be inaccurate or “fake.” They were feeling as though the news itself is simply too painful. The shared feeling is that it puts them in such a state of either depression or anger that for their own mental and spiritual heath they had decided they needed to take something of a break from the constant barrage 24 hour news brings to us. I understand that feeling.

I’m also aware that there are others, maybe others reading these words, for whom the news over the last year or so has been the kind of thing they have wanted to hear for years. These persons believe that overall things are headed in the right direction politically and they celebrate what they see as positive changes.

Neither of these broad groups of people understand one another. And we wonder if there was ever a time when we were so divided. And while I find myself very clearly on a “side” in the debate, I am also as concerned as anyone about the state of the cultural divide in which we live today.

I know there have been many times when we have felt a similar cultural divide. I mean we had a civil war where we were actually killing one another over issues that divided us. In the 1960’s and 70’s the divide took many to the streets where tens of, hundreds, even thousands of people marched in protest of the US war in Southeast Asia and for civil rights.

Now, I am not at all trying to minimize the current cultural divide nor am I suggesting there are not some significant ways in which the basis for the current divide is not even more ominous than at other points in our history. What I am suggesting is that the differences and struggles are not new. While it indeed is difficult when, (as others I have spoken with express), the anticipation of Christmas dinner brings stress because we know those differences will show up and will make conversation and digestion problematic. We need in the midst of our differences to find a way to celebrate our sameness. I confess, I don’t always know how to do that in our polarizations. Sometimes, often times, it would be easier to just stay where it is safe and people think as we do. But unless we at least prayerfully try to understand one another both in our broader culture, and in our divisions within the church (which is a whole other conversation!), we will continue to live life in isolation listening to our particular brand and perspective and seeing one another as “the other.”

2,000 years ago the one, the angel, called the “Prince of Peace” was born. Would that we might discover, in these trying days, the gift of that One again.

I don’t have the answer. I wish so much that I did. But I continue to struggle. You see I believe Jesus when he says that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. I love the name we give Jesus calling him “Prince of Peace.” I believe that the concept of Christian pacifism is a very legitimate understanding of how we are called to live as followers of Christ.

But I just watched a 60 Minutes story on the ongoing struggle in Syria. The story highlighted the work of Syrian doctors from the U.S. who have been going to Aleppo and other war-torn parts of Syria to provide medical care to all the people injured in the war. The story reported the fact that Syrian president Assad has been targeting the hospitals where the doctors are working. With both barrel bombs and chemical weapons the Assad government has targeted those already injured in the war. This, as the reporters in the story pointed out, was the first identified war crime. This war crime was the basis for the forming of the Geneva Convention and the founding of the Red Cross to stop this horrific behavior.

Whenever I hear such stories, (and there are of course many other stories of unspeakable violence carried out by individuals and governments), I struggle to understand and follow what Jesus seems to ask of us.

To most, even in the church, it feels like a “no-brainer.” Of course we fight back. Of course we must stop the mad men and women of the world. And since most of them seem to have barrel bombs or AK-47s, we need to respond in kind. And I understand the logic in that thinking. I understand why I have had several calls over the past couple of weeks about having guns in church in light of the church shooting in Texas.

But it seems to me that Jesus often challenges us to go beyond logical thinking. Jesus calls us to see the future not just the right now. He invites us to see the long term consequences not just the immediate results. Jesus seems to me to be inviting us to understand that every act of violence brings about the next and the next and the next and the only way to stop it is to not live by the sword anymore regardless of the situation. It seems like that is what the cross teaches us too.

But just about the time I’m settled on that, I think of the people in the hospitals in Aleppo. Do we simply pray while the bombs continue? Paul gives us some insight perhaps when he speaks to the Romans about the government and its authority to “wield the sword” in Romans 13. But is he simply outlining the way things are, or the way of Christ?

I don’t have the answer and people way smarter, with deep faith, come down in different places on this issue. But as angry as I get at the injustice and violence in our world, the absolutely awful things that are done and especially the violence perpetrated against children; as much as my heart cries out for justice and for the offenders to “pay” or at least be stopped violently if necessary, a part of me still believes that Jesus has a way that is real and different. It is a way that leads to life. And it is a way that never includes a sword.

As we begin our Advent Journey this year, in the midst of a very violent world, may we consider how we might make peace, how we might find the alternate way, how we might be a part of fighting evil not with evil, but with love. It won’t be easy. Most will probably reject it out of hand as foolhardy, perhaps even unloving. But if we truly believe in Jesus’ call to live, love even in the face of evil, then we need to continue to look for that alternative way to engage. Perhaps a way that changes people and institutions instead of just trying to overpower the current version.

There are a number of things I thought about putting into Castings this week. Certainly the news is full of issues I might have addressed and invited us to see from our faith perspective. There are issues in the General Church that could have provided conversation and reflection as we seek to find our way forward through our differences to where God might call us to go. There are things going on in my own life that I thought about inviting you into using as a relational connection with the kinds of struggles we all face and again inviting us to see God in the midst of it all.

But, ultimately, I don’t want to go to any of those places. I am not up this morning for engaging in deep political discussion or theological debate or even a conversation about my wonderful grandchildren (well, maybe that!).

In the midst of the violence, the contention, the pain, the stress, the fear, and the uncertainty that every day seems to bring, I just want to share one thing with you this week, it is these words from Jesus:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.Not as the world gives do I give to you.Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
~ John 14:27

As we get closer to the time when we will begin this journey as one Annual Conference, I thought it might be helpful to outline for you some of the plans as we move into this new reality.

First, by January 1, 2018 (and probably before) we will have the final boundaries of the new 9 Districts in place and that will be shared across the state. As you, hopefully, are aware we are moving from 12 Districts which make up the current West Michigan and Detroit Annual Conferences to 9 Districts that will make up the new Michigan Annual Conference. That means of course that all 9 Districts will be new entities with new names as well as congregational makeup.

But before the Grand Rapids District closes, we are going to have a celebration! On January 27, 2018 from 9:00am – noon we will gather to celebrate the 50 years of ministry we have shared in the United Methodist Grand Rapids District. Our former District Superintendent, now Bishop Laurie Haller, will be preaching as we gather for worship. We’ll hear stories of where we have been and what has been accomplished as we have walked together these five decades. So make sure that this date is on your calendar, you will not want to miss it! Details are coming soon.

Then as we look forward to the beginning of the “new” District we will have some opportunities to get together in regions to talk about hopes and dreams. That process will culminate in an Organizing District Conference on Sunday, April 22, 2018. At that Conference we will elect the needed Disciplinary Committees, District Committee on Ministry, District Committee on Building and Location, and the District Committee on Superintendency. We will also elect a District Visioning Team that will lead us into our first year helping us to discern what leadership structure we will need going forward. It has not been finally decided at this point, but we may also be selecting a name for the District at that organizing conference.

Then on July 1, 2018 we will begin functioning as 9 Districts in one Annual Conference. The caveat to that July 1 beginning is that from a legal and financial perspective we will not be the Michigan Annual Conference officially until January 1, 2019. We are still working on how those details will be worked out in that six month period, but I trust and am sure we will find our way.

These are exciting times and I look forward, as I hope you do, to the ways our new District and our new Annual Conference will help congregations make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!

I was in a conversation the other day with some friends and I don’t remember how we got on the subject, but we started talking about fears. Most of us had one or more of the fairly common types, heights, snakes, enclosed places, and it was interesting to listen and watch the animation that went along with each description to understand the depth of our struggles.

It seems like there is a lot to fear these days. Beyond the phobias I was discussing with my friends, there is a lot of uncertainty around us and that often breeds fear. There are fears related to gun violence and there are fears related to terrorism. There are fears related to international relations and the threats of nuclear confrontation. There are also fears in many of our churches.

We are declining, we are struggling financially, we are not sure what will happen as we move into the 2019 special General Conference, we are not sure what’s next. And in the midst of any and all of these fears it is easy to move to a place of debility. It’s easy to move to a place where our fears rule our actions and we move into a reactive, protective mode and I understand that emotion and desire. We want something safe we want assurance that in the midst of our fears it will be OK.

As people of faith we have that assurance. Faith is not a panacea. It doesn’t wipe out our fear and it doesn’t magically do away with the issues behind our fears. But our faith does enable us to see our fears from a different place, and from a different perspective. Our faith in God who is always working for good, who is the essence of good, and who is acting, both in our world and in us, to bring forward that good in every circumstance and situation, our faith in God enables us to see and move beyond our fears.

Knowing who God is helps us to engage our fears with hope and with purpose knowing that God is working with us to see God’s Kingdom come on earth even as it is in heaven. Faith in God, evidenced so perfectly in Christ Jesus, empowers us to live differently. Not in denial of the situation, not simply believing that God will just somehow fix it all apart from us, but rather knowing that God is with us working for good in the midst of our very real fears and knowing that even if our worst fears are realized it is not the end, but in God there is always a step forward.

Jesus promise put it so well in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

This week rather than writing my own words I want to share with you a resolution adopted at our 2016 General Conference and thus included in our Book of Resolutions. Somehow it seemed appropriate.

“As followers of Jesus, called to live into the reality of God’s dream of shalom as described by Micah, we must address the epidemic of gun violence so “that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in God’s paths.” Therefore, we call upon United Methodists to prayerfully address gun violence in their local context. Some of the ways in which to prevent gun violence include the following:

For congregations to make preventing gun violence a regular part of our conversations and prayer times. Gun violence must be worshipfully and theologically reflected on, and we encourage United Methodist churches to frame conversations theologically by utilizing resources such as “Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities: Reflections on Gun Violence from Micah 4:1-4” produced by the General Board of Church and Society.

For congregations to assist those affected by gun violence through prayer, pastoral care, creating space, and encouraging survivors to share their stories, financial assistance, and through identifying other resources in their communities as victims of gun violence and their families walk through the process of grieving and healing.

For individual United Methodists who own guns as hunters or collectors to safely and securely store their guns and to teach the importance of practicing gun safety.

For United Methodist congregations that have not experienced gun violence to form ecumenical and interfaith partnerships with faith communities that have experienced gun violence in order to support them and learn from their experiences.

For United Methodist congregations to lead or join in ecumenical or interfaith gatherings for public prayer at sites where gun violence has occurred and partner with law enforcement to help prevent gun violence.

For United Methodist congregations to partner with local law-enforcement agencies and community groups to identify gun retailers that engage in retail practices designed to circumvent laws on gun sales and ownership, encourage full legal compliance, and to work with groups like Heeding God’s Call that organize faith-based campaigns to encourage gun retailers to gain full legal compliance with appropriate standards and laws.

For United Methodist congregations to display signs that prohibit carrying guns onto church property.

For United Methodist congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence. Some of those measures include:

Universal background checks on all gun purchases

Ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty

Ensuring all guns are sold through licensed gun retailers

Prohibiting all individuals convicted of violent crimes from purchasing a gun for a fixed time period

Prohibiting all individuals under restraining order due to threat of violence from purchasing a gun

Prohibiting persons with serious mental illness, who pose a danger to themselves and their communities, from purchasing a gun

Ensuring greater access to services for those suffering from mental illness

Establishing a minimum age of 21 years for a gun purchase or possession

Banning large-capacity ammunition magazines and weapons designed to fire multiple rounds each time the trigger is pulled

Promoting new technologies to aid law-enforcement agencies to trace crime guns and promote public safety.”

Many of you will remember that two years ago during each of our Church Conferences we received an offering the proceeds of which were to go for the purchase of a four wheel drive vehicle for Rev. Cecilia Mapleh, District Superintendent of the Lofa District in Liberia. Folks gave at the church conferences and folks continued to give after the church conferences were completed.

Ultimately we reached the goal of $17,000 to purchase the used truck that would take DS Cecilia to her appointed rounds, enabling her to be more effective in caring for the people and churches of her very rural and often isolated district. We reached that goal in the early part of 2016, and in my mind I expected that DS Mapleh would be on the road by February. But…it didn’t work out that way!

We have been working with the General Board of Global Ministries, the Liberia Annual Conference and many others to accomplish this task ever since the money was raised. We have been in phone and email contact with Cecilia and many others at least every other week. It was nobody’s fault. Everyone was seeking to make it happen, but finding a safe and effective means of carrying out this mission was a challenge, to say the least.

But thanks be to God, while there may be trouble in the night, Joy comes in the Morning! After some 18 months of finding our way forward, this past week, we received word that the money had arrived and the truck had been purchased. We also received some wonderful pictures of Cecilia heading down one of the dirt roads of her district, no longer on foot or on a bicycle that doesn’t work at all in the rainy season, but driving a gift from co-workers in Christ from the Grand Rapids District.

As I looked at those pictures (below) my heart was warmed and I was reminded again that while we can’t solve all of the problems of the third world, while we can’t fix all the issues of Liberia, we can make a difference for one servant of Christ and the District she serves. You have done that. It took a while! But you have made that difference. Thank you!

The Cabinet is in retreat this week. We call it a retreat basically because we are away at a location instead of at the ministry center and we wear casual clothes. Beyond that it’s long work days! We have a fall “retreat” in September every year because we don’t usually meet in the summer and there is always lots to do and lots to catch up on. It also gives us a chance to hear what’s happening in one another’s lives.

It’s that last part that I want to share about this week. This is my sixth year on the Cabinet which also means it’s my sixth year out of the local church. Being a pastor is who I am. It is who I am to the core of my being and while I really do love the ministry of District Superintendent, I miss sharing life with a congregation. I miss being a part of people’s lives on a week to week basis. I miss the kind of connection that happens in a Bible Study where questions are raised and new insight is gained and decisions made. I miss it all (well most of it anyway). And honestly from some of the stories I’ve heard about how Cabinets sometimes function, I know I would never make it in some of those settings.

But I am incredibly grateful for the people I get to work with on this Cabinet. I am incredibly grateful for the leadership of this amazing Bishop and our Clergy Assistant to the Bishop, John Boley. We are, the 15 of us, a deep community. We are a praying community. We are a loving community. And I am so honored to be a part of these wonderful servants of Christ and Christ’s church.

And as I sit here thinking about how blessed I am in this community, I can’t help but think about you and the churches of the Grand Rapids District. Friends my abiding prayer for you is that you are experiencing this same sense of joy and celebration in your Church community. I pray that as you work together in your community you are discovering − even in the work − a depth of relationship that is rich and life giving. I pray that as you leave a meeting about vision, or money, or what’s next for your congregation, you leave tired and weary having spent yourself in the task but joyful because you are in it together. I pray you leave feeling connected and engaged and while there is significant work ahead, and the road may not be smooth, you have your eyes on Christ and you find excitement in the fact that you are rowing the boat together.

I pray that your community of faith, be it big or small, rich or struggling financially, theologically to one end of the spectrum or the other, is a place where you know you are loved deeply by God and by those with whom you share the journey. I pray you know without a shadow of a doubt that while you may not always (or often) think alike, you have one another’s backs because you love, respect, and trust one another.

I am grateful, deeply grateful that I find that love, respect and trust on the Cabinet. I pray you are finding that too, and are building that in your Church.

It has been awhile! I decided when I went on vacation in August that I would take a break from Castings for the month, and my what a month it’s been. The current events which have taken place in this break have been legion! Events that have directly affected the lives of people and their culture would have most probably been items I would have chosen to write about, had I been writing Castings in August. Let me think back with you for a moment to Charlottesville, Hurricane Harvey, North Korea missile tests and U.S. response, Mudslides in Sierra Leone, and massive flooding resulting in the death of over 1,200 people in Bangladesh, and this week (I know it’s September now) the Administration’s action towards ending DACA. There has been much to invite our prayers, our voices, and our actions.

As I have listened to and watched these stories evolve, as I have observed the many lives affected by them, as I have prayed and given and written emails to leaders, it occurs to me again just how life rolls on from one event to the next. This is true certainly in the “news cycle,” in the global realities of each day’s story. For given individuals who find themselves the focus of the stories, their day in the news may well be life changing, but for most of us the events of the world flow one into the next with little affect upon us. Oh, we may respond. We may celebrate or get upset. We may, as I indicated I have done, engage the event in some way either seeking to influence, help, or affect the outcome going forward. We may simply join the conversation by talking to friends or speaking out on the endless noise on social media. But ultimately, we move on. We move on to the next story, the next challenge or joy that is just now coming into view.

At age 61 (yes, I know many of you have me beaten!), I have seen my share of this day to day, year to year cycle. And that reality, while not minimizing at all the importance of each and every event, trouble or difficulty − because each one involves the lives of real people loved by God − gives me some sense of peace. The peace comes from the knowledge that God is in it all. God’s grace has been present in times of fear and worry, in times of pain and discouragement, and God’s grace IS with us now leading us forward.

Now that is not in any way an excuse for non-action. It is not a panacea, or an invitation to simply disengage. If ever there was a time for Christ followers to represent Christ’s way of love in the world, it is now. But we represent that love with a confidence that knows there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, and that as we live out that love in all the ways we are able to, God is our guide and our hope from news cycle to news cycle to news cycle.